Haves and Have-Nots

Every aspect of Rawlings' story of Cross Creek is touched by the reality of the poverty around her, and her writing reflects her increasing sensitivity to it. When Rawlings first arrived at the Creek, she took the poverty around her for granted. The story of Tim and his wife, who live in quiet desperation in the rundown tenant house with mosquitoes and ants, reflects her initial naivety as well as her lack of previous exposure to real hardship. It did not occur to Rawlings until later that she had any responsibility to treat these people any better than they had been treated in the past or to help them, since they worked on her property. She admits that Tim's wife has haunted her mind, and it is because of her that Rawlings awakens to the real meaning of abject poverty as time goes on. The incredible...